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Leaving An Imprint

Casa do Valle
Homenagem
Rosso 2016
Reserva
Vinho Regional Minho
Sousao, Touriga Nacional, Merlot, etc
Organic, hand harvested
Cabeceiras de Basto, Portugal
Sousa Botelho family: Luis Botelho Cameira

Inky deep purple with a maroon rim. Trust me don’t accidentally spill this on your shirt…don’t be me. After the clean up, breathing in plums, prunes, deep cherries (dried & fresh), a little creaminess like an Oreo center, nutmeg & allspice, tiny bit of black pepper, and as time goes by a mix of berries tumbling through, and a woodsy oak touch that is one I can go with because it’s like Goldilocks would say “just right”. Sip and all of the scents are here with a smooth operator feel, orange zest, and what I at first think is just a creaminess that for a bit is a little coconut. Berries pop out including raspberries, blueberries, boysenberries, cranberries, black currants, and probably others too; a touch of alpine herbal (Ricola), and a single pine needle.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: delicious and brings out an orange sizzle

Each vintage of Homenagem, is a lovely way for this winemaking family to pay homage & honor their father & grandfather, who passionately paved the way for their winery’s growth, developed their expansion through exporting, and overall success. What a delicious way to be memorialized! Cheers to all the generations and raising a glass to your future! 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #redwine #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass # Portugal #docwinebar #docwineshop #casadovalle @massanois @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Just One More Sip

Azienda Crocizia
Balós 2020
Emilia IGT
100% Pinot Nero
Organic, as little intervention in the cellar as possible
Emilia, Italy
Marco Rizzardi

Squished raspberry & strawberry rosiness. Sniff and it all changes over time but starts out tart not quite ripe strawberries & raspberries, dried cherries & cranberries, bit of earthy depth & forest floor, and a pinch of salt. First taste it’s a cocktail of all the berries then leading to tart cherry, dark plum, that bit of earth again with a smidge of smoke, little lemon squeeze, a lick of a salty rock, a straw of hay way in the back that later turns into a bit of balsamic, and a little sizzle on the tongue.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: brings out more berries and smooths it all out

Marco Rizzardi rescued a little farm from abandonment, rebuilt and nurtured it into the small organic-bio vineyard it is now with the greatest of respect and care. He also has a bit of fun with the names for his bottles, like “Balós” and it’s a fitting moniker. So I’m told it’s “by name and by nature, the trickster who deceives you”, or a “cunning scoundrel who will not leave you alone” & lures you into another sip, then another, and next thing you know the whole bottle is “poof” magically gone! ❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #sparklingwine #petnat #wineislove #winetime #organic #Italy #docwinebar #docwineshop #crocizia #winemc2 @crocizia @winemc2 @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Perfect Pairing/Partnership

Caruso & Minini
Terre di Giumara
Zoli
Inzolia
Terre Siciliane IGP
Sustainable
Sicily, Italy
Wine team: Stefano Caruso & Mario Minini (co-founders), and Giovanna & Rosanna (Stefano’s daughters)

Light yet bright yellow green shimmer. Breathing in peaches & their blossoms, magnolias & lillies, touch of melon, round pears & apples, oddly a fresh picked Scuppernong smell I remember from my grandfather’s vines, and a smidge of grapefruit. Sip, swish and here comes white peaches, a little honeydew, pears, a splash of pineapple & mango along with that floral again, lick of a mineral rock & it goes dry, citrus starts to emerge (lemon, lime, tangelo), a teeny bit of oregano.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: perfect

The Caruso family had a history of cultivating grapes to sell, then later to bottle in the 90s, but it took the latest two generations (Stefano & his daughters) to step everything up. Also Stefano partnered up with Mario Minini (hence their winery’s name) & utilized his experience in sales & marketing to bring them to their current success. Now their wines reach more than 30 countries, and that’s pretty exciting since now we all have a chance to taste their bit of Sicily without having to board a flight. ✈️❤️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #Italy #Sicily #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #docwinebar #docwineshop @carusoeminini @massanois @docwinebar @docwineshop

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A Legendary Beauty

Dio Cocktails
Hibiscus Rose French 75
All natural & low sugar (cane)
Based out of NY, NY
Made in Athens, GA
Co-founders: Bronson van Wyck & Nick Bradley

Hazy gold limeade. Scents of lemon/lime & a touch of Lemonhead candy, pears & sweet golden delicious apples, salty seltzer, roses & heady hibiscus, and a light bouquet garni of healthy familiar herbs. At first sip there’s an explosion of flavors…same lemon/lime & cane sugar touch, pears & honey crisp apples, a floral bunch fluttering like butterflies, gin with alpine moments on the back, and on exhale wintergreen. It’s very easy, gentle and gorgeous.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: heightens the sweet life

Two men of international intrigue…one with a flair for getting the party started & the other with expertise in getting a brand launched (both originally Southerners btw) paired to make intriguing classic & inventive cocktails with a nod to mythology, gods, other worldly pleasures. These tiny cans are perfect to pop in your go bag or kick back with Bettany Hughes’ “Helen of Troy: The Story Behind the Most Beautiful Woman in the World” since this delicious elixir is inspired by her much heralded beauty.

#cocktails #cannedcocktails #gin #wineinacan #wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #French75 #drinkdio  #docwinebar #docwineshop @cheezit @drinkdio @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Cartwheel Worthy

Domaine Jacky Marteau
Lulu
Crémant de Loire
Touraine Val de Loire
Chenin Blanc 1/3, Cabernet France 1/3, Chardonnay 1/3
Sustainable
Pouillé, France
Ludivine (Lulu) Marteau

Light golden pale starlight twinkling with fine active bubbles. First sniff and it’s creamy with a touch of bakery goodness, pears (baked and fresh), round apples, a touch of pineapple, some Easter flowers along with fresh rained on slate, over time a squish of tangelo & lemon, and a fresh salt breeze. Sipping away and that cream appears again with a tart bit of fun, pears & apples are joined with a little welcome honeysuckle (is that an incoming bee I hear?), teeniest bit of pineapple, lemon/lime spark & a little zest, and a nice lick of a mineral river rock.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: absolutely delicious

Domaine Jacky Marteau is a lovely 4th generation family business & their namesake comes from Ludivine’s father who took over in 1977, and brought them from bulk sales to bottles & eventually exports. Lulu & her brother Rodolphe came on board in the 2000s post vine studies & some life/work experiences, and eventually began running the winery in 2010. Now, Lulu is in charge of this show & if her personality is anything like this sparkler…she must be bubbly, fun, brings a smile to everyone in the room, a bit of a romantic & a flirt at the same time, and pure innocent (well maybe not always so innocent) exuberant joy! 💋 Can you tell how much I love this glass? Makes me want to do cartwheels. 🤸🏻‍♀️Wheeeee!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #sparklingwine #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #France #Loire #docwinebar #docwineshop #DomaineJackyMarteau @cheezit @communalbrands @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Science As Art

Tessier Winery
Soul Love 2022
65% Riesling, 22% Mourtaou, 11% Négrette, 2% Merlot
Sustainable, certified vegan, sourced thoughtfully, native yeasts, low intervention
Heraldsburg, CA
Founder & winemaker: Kristie Tacey

Electric magenta with a splash of orange sunset. Btw chill this baby. Ok there’s a Hawaiian punch memory from long ago. BTW I really loved that stuff as a kid and ran up quite a bill at Sea World eons ago. I don’t think my parents realized there were no free refills. Sniffing cherry, plum, raspberry, guava, juicy fun. Now onto the taste and there’s flying free deliciousness…cherries, plums, a bowl of berries with some guava again, splash of kiwi & a little light lemon/lime spritz that oddly has a little Boo Berry waving in the distance, and a bit of springhouse mineral to even it out. This is flat out scrumptious, glou glou, and a bring more than 2 bottles worthy.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: brings out the tart

Well, it’s spelled out right on the label, “Science As Art”. Kristie Tacey wasn’t born into the vine life, but ended up there after becoming a published scientist. My S.O. is one too but he went into visual arts which enhance his research & imaging abilities, so I can totally see where this would work so well with Tacey’s vision for her wines. She can look at the full life cycle from the land to the the harvest and which grapes to select…through to the bottle and view it from different angles from logic, sustainability, creative blending, and intuition. The other cool thing about her is she pairs her wines with music (as you can see with this bottle of Bowie’s “Soul Love”) and she has fab taste! Check out her playlist here.

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #davidbowie #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #california #docwinebar #docwineshop #tessierwinery @tessierwinery @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Bottled Sunshine

Cellers de Can Suriol
Azimut Brisat Orange 2022
Parellada 40%, Sumoll Blanc 10%, Garnatxa Blanca 20%, Moscatell 30%
Organic, biodynamic, true devotees to nature
Grabuac, DO Penedés, Catalonia, Spain
Owner & winemakers: Assís Suriol & his family

Orange deep gold pour with a bit of haze. Scents start popping out of oranges & greenery, tangerines, apricots, whole bunch of orchard blossoms, and a few sprigs of grass. All of the above scents play well in the taste along with even more tangerine & orange blossoms, pineapple, light yet heady flowers, and a little salty smoke. So fresh, friendly and a little bit frisky.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: smooth operator

“The secret of Can Suriol is to understand that the true creator of our wines is nature.” – Assisi Suriol…such true and beautiful words. Brisat Orange is from their Azimuth line, that includes not only their organic/biodynamic grapes but also some from their neighbors, so it’s a collaboration of skin contact joy. The Suriols really do care about the imprint they make on their environment even while having natural fun…they give back by composting, using solar powered electricity, and sourcing their bottles as local as they can…and now their bit of bottled sunshine has caused a not so awfully old,  oldie to get stuck in my head, and glued a big smile on my face & in my heart.

🎶 I got that 🌞 in my pocket
Got that good soul in my feet…
I can’t stop the feelin’ So just dance, dance, dance 🎶
💃🕺

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #sunshine #winetasting #sparklingwine #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Catalonia #organic #orangewine #penedes #spain #docwinebar #docwineshop @cansuriol @jennyfrancois @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Channeling My Inner Wolf

Folias de Baco
Uivo “aqua nat”
Piquette
Aromatised wine-based drink
Field blend
5.5% ABV
375 ml
Organic, unfined & unfiltered
Alijó, Duoro, Portugal
Winemaker: Tiago Sampaio

Glou glouing at first from the bottle and later a good glass pour. Dark rose with electric magenta, a little blood orange, and a little natural detritus at the bottom of the bottle. Taking my nose on a walk through a rose garden along with strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, light blend of citrus zest, and a faint whiff of smoke. Ooh there’s an effervescent tongue tingle leading to a cocktail of cranberry, young strawberry (including caps), raspberry, blackberry with a squish of lemon, and a chew of wild sour grass chewed in my early years stuck in the outfield.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: pretty good

This bottle is like revisiting a comforting friend while still recovering (which I’m still in the process after unexpectedly  getting my bell rung very) and oh does it make me grin albeit painfully since the cuts and bruises are still looking like I went a few rounds with a prize fighter. Hey you should see the other guy. 🤪 Anyway, just like all my Folias de Baco & Uivo encounters I always want to howl their praise and embrace their pack. Cheers to tonight’s (now last week’s) Harvest Moon and channeling my inner wolf!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #Piquette #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #wolf #winetasting #sparklingwine #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Duoro #Portugal  #organic #docwinebar #docwineshop @saviosoaresselections @folias_de_baco @docwinebar @docwineshop

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Rock On!

Ruge
L’Essenziale 2021
Prosecco Col Fondo
Colli Trevigiani IGT
Glera
Old school natural re-fermentation in the bottle, hand harvested, unfiltered, member of ColFondo Agricolo
Valdobbiadene, Italy
The Ruggeri brothers (Ruggero and Andrea)

Yellow with green hints and lots of fine active bubbles. First up are creamy yeasty fresh baked scents followed by a pears & mellow apple blend, touch of lychee as it opens, and over time a teeny very light citrus tingle in the way back…it’s beautifully light & dainty. Sipping and all the scents & creaminess are right there…gentle, free and as it grows more full with a little more of a lemon/lime crisp tingle in a good way, and a crumble of sugar cookie with a pinch of salt. Just a dreamy, enchanting glass of bubble love that has enough edge can pair with some good ol’ rock n roll.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: Not tonight

Ruggero & Andrea have designated themselves as “guardians” for their land, and what a beautiful rich, green, sloping vision it is. As in their own words, “We have the duty to transfer a little of the wonderful landscape in which we live into the glasses.” L’ Essenziale completely transports you to their history (how it’s made & etc) and celebrates their native grape. It also links you to a group (ColFondo Agricola) unified under 10 winemaking commandments, secondary fermentation in the bottle, and the sparklers being able to pass a blind tasting & seal of approval before they can carry the project’s logo on the back label. Oh and it doesn’t hurt if you like a little head banging to AC/DC, to join this sparky band of vintners. 🎸🤘Rock on!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #sparklingwine #prosecco #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #Valdobbiadene #RugeValdobbiadene #italy #organic #acdc #jandamorewines @colfondoagricolo @docwinebar @docwineshop

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“It’s A Kind Of Magic”

La Masera
Anima 2020
100% Erbaluce
Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG
Organic
Settimo Rottaro, Italy
Alessandro, Gian Carlo, Davide, Sergio and Marco

Just like that good old yellow green crayon but shining. Breathing in white flowers & blossoms, mix of green apples, a  little green grass, firm crisp pears, a little bubbling citrus spark with a savory herb bundle with sage, thyme, & more, and of course my old familiar of that mineral spring house. Oooh this is delicious! Tasting green apples, pears, light honeysuckle, a sprig of fresh cut grass, a salt rim, and that same herb & mineral hit again. This is gentle, delicate and adventurous at the same time, and as it opens in the heat of tonight it blooms & shows its beauty.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: it’s ok but better on its own

Once upon a time there were five boys/friends that watched their elders revel & devote themselves to the growth & creation of an elixir, “Erbaluce Passito”, and well…it stuck. They did grow up, find their place in the world, but their minds circled back to that happy reminder from their childhood, or as they say “with our project we try to replicate those ancient gestures to give new life to that wonder of taste and inner search that springs out of a Settimo Rottaro Erbaluce Passito glass …”  Oh, to have a chance to recapture the past, harness a dream and make it real. Just like their native jewel of a grape…it’s a kind of magic!

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #piedmont #italy #organic #queen #freddiemercury @lamasera.wine @omniwines @docwinebar @docwineshop